The MaCWAVE program to study gravity wave influences on the polar mesosphere

• Published in: Annales Geophysicae
• Main Authors: R. A. Goldberg, D. C. Fritts, F. J. Schmidlin, B. P. Williams, C. L. Croskey, J. D. Mitchell, M. Friedrich, J. M. Russell III, U. Blum, K. H. Fricke
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Copernicus Publications 2006
• Subjects: Science; Q; Physics; QC1-999; Geophysics. Cosmic physics; QC801-809; Alomar; Andøya; Esrange; Norway; Orion
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-24-1159-2006; https://doaj.org/article/e17887a91ca44b64b297c878df28d077

MaCWAVE ( M ountain a nd C onvective W aves A scending VE rtically) was a highly coordinated rocket, ground-based, and satellite program designed to address gravity wave forcing of the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT). The MaCWAVE program was conducted at the Norwegian Andøya Rocket Range (ARR, 69.3° N) in July2002, and continued at the Swedish Rocket Range (Esrange, 67.9° N) during January 2003. Correlative instrumentation included the ALOMAR MF and MST radars and RMR and Na lidars, Esrange MST and meteor radars and RMR lidar, radiosondes, and TIMED ( T hermosphere I onosphere M esosphere E nergetics and D ynamics) satellite measurements of thermal structures. The data have been used to define both the mean fields and the wave field structures and turbulence generation leading to forcing of the large-scale flow. In summer, launch sequences coupled with ground-based measurements at ARR addressed the forcing of the summer mesopause environment by anticipated convective and shear generated gravity waves. These motions were measured with two 12-h rocket sequences, each involving one Terrier-Orion payload accompanied by a mix of MET rockets, all at ARR in Norway. The MET rockets were used to define the temperature and wind structure of the stratosphere and mesosphere. The Terrier-Orions were designed to measure small-scale plasma fluctuations and turbulence that might be induced by wave breaking in the mesosphere. For the summer series, three European MIDAS ( Mi ddle Atmosphere D ynamics a nd S tructure) rockets were also launched from ARR in coordination with the MaCWAVE payloads. These were designed to measure plasma and neutral turbulence within the MLT. The summer program exhibited a number of indications of significant departures of the mean wind and temperature structures from ``normal" polar summer conditions, including an unusually warm mesopause and a slowing of the formation of polar mesospheric summer echoes (PMSE) and noctilucent clouds (NLC). This was suggested to be due to enhanced planetary ...